Cigarette machine catcher



March 30,1926.

1,578,505 T. FETZER CIGARETTE MACHINE CATGH ER Filed May 22, 1924 INVENTOR. 1

- .4 TTORNEYSQ Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES A 1,578,505 PATENT, OFFICE.

THEODORE FETZER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,.ASSIGNOR TO' AMEBICAN MACHINE 8c FOUNDRY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ()IIIGAIRLECUTE MACHINE ('IA'JICHIIilR.-

' Application 'fiIed May 22, 1924- Serial No. 715,017.,

ous rod at intervals equal to the lengths of The rod is then cut into in.-

two cigarettes. 15 dividual cigarettes, one out being made at the center of the applied cork, and another midway between adjacent applications of the same.' The individual cigarettes are then discharged into a catcher where half of them lie with their cork tips at one end, and the other half with their cork tips at the other end. The cigarettes must then be removed from the catcher and sorted by In carrying-the invention into effect, there is provided means for forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of-said forwarding means for receiving a part of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving an 00 1 other part of the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said for warding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, so that in each of the receiving means all the cigarettes therein will lie with 55 their tips at the same end.

anism of the cigarette machine properv delivers the cigarettes directly to the forwarding means; the forwarding means'includes a belt and means for curling the same to I straighten cigarettes received from the cutoff mechanism; and the pushing meanshas, I

an orbital movement just'over the belt and. intersecting the path of the cigarettes forwarded thereby. All of the above ntioned means and devices may bewidel varied in ha d, f h the i tt are k d f L construction within the scope of the claims,

25 the market the tips must all lie at the same end of the collocation. The main object of a the present invention is the production of a catcher that will automatically sort .the

tipped cigarettes. A further object is the production of such a device which is aprette machines now in use. And another object is the production of a device of this general character which is capable of being operated at high speed without generating excessive vibration of-the' machine proper. With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended. 4 I

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification and in which like characters ofreference indicate the same or like parts, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a catcher constructed in accordancewitli the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, viewed from the broken line 2+2; Fig.3 is a cross-sec,- tional elevation taken on the lines 33 in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. l is a Iperspective View of the pushing device employed in the structures shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

plicable to the standard commercial cigawhich will be hereinafter fully described .for. the particular catcher selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many 'possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention therefore is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shown and described.

In the device selected to illustrate thein- 3 vention, there is provided a cutoff mechanism including a circular knife 5 coacting with a ledger-plate 6.- This cutoff mecha nism and its mode of operation are wellknown in the art and a detailed description thereof, being unnecessary to a full under standing of the present invention, is'omitted in the interest-of brevity.

The cutoff mechanism delivers individual cigarettes directly to a belt Trufnning over P pulleys 8, 9 and 10, the pulley 8 being driven by a belt 11, deriving its motion from one of the shafts of the cigarette machine proper in connection with which the present device I is used. The pulley '10 is an idler and carries an adjustable bracket 12, the adjust- .mentbeing for belt tightening purposes and effected in a 'well known manner. As the. cigarettes are discharged from the cutofi [mechfinism to the belt 7, they donot always fall straight to'the belt; and for the purpose of straightening cigarettes which do not fall straight on to the belt, there is provided a.

In the best constructions, the cutoff mechstationary trough 13 through which the upstraightened cigarettes to a considerable distance from the cutoff mechanism, and beyondthe end of the belt is located what may be termed primary cigarette receiving means. This primary cigarette receiving meansincludes an inclined plate 14 and a belt 15 underrunning said plate and moving ina direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the forwarding belt 7. The belt 15 overruns a pulley 16 fast on a shaft 17 and operated by a belt, not shown, which overruns a pulley 18 and derives its motion from one of the shafts of the cigarette machine proper. The belt 15.also overruns an idle pulley, not shown, but suitably sup ported from the frame of the cigarette ma chine proper.

At one side of the forwarding belt 7, near the delivery end of the same, there is located what may be termed a secondary receiving means for the cigarettes which includes an inclined plate 19 and the belt 15 before referred to. As the cigarettes are forwarded by the belt 7,'they are alternately delivered to the p imarv receiving means and to the seconda receiving means, for the reason her'einbefore indicated.

The means employed for delivering a part of the cigarettes to the secondaryreceiving means includes a pusher 20 having an inclined operating surface 21 movable in an orbital path intersecting the path of the cigarettes as forwarded by the belt 7. The operating surface 21 of the pusher is inclined so that its. edge engages the cigarette below its center and thus avoids the possibility of crushing the same during its removal from the belt 7.

The pusher 20 is provided with a slot 22 by means of which, in conjunction with screws 23, .i't ma'y be adjusted in a fore and aft direction in accordance with the length the machine. The pusher 20 is thus adjustably mounted on a bar 24 supported by cranks 2525, carried on gears 26-26, mounted on studs 2727, supported in a bracket 28, which in .turn is supported by the main frame of the cigarette machine proper. The gears 26--26 are in mesh with a pinion 29 fast on the upper end of a shaft 30, j'ournaled in suitable bearings 31-32, the formerbeing formed in the bracket 28, and the latter in an independent bracket secured to the frame of the cigarette machine proper. A bevel gear 33 is mounted upon the lower end of the shaft 30, and this bevel gear is in mesh with a second bevel gear "34 fast on a shaft 35 which derives its motion from one of the shafts of the cigarette machine proper. As the pusher 20 comes into contact with a cigarette occupying a position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, it is traveling forwardly at substantially thesam'e speed as the belt 7. Immediately afterward, however, its forward movement is accelerated, due to the position of the cranks 25 25 with respect to the shafts 27- 27, although its angular velocity remains the same. This acceleration, with the slight lifting tendency of the operating surface 21, delivers the ciga rette to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and from there it rolls down the inclined plate 17 to the belt 15. While the pusher is traveling from this point through its orbit tothe position where itcan again engage a cigarette on the belt 7, the cigarette immediately behind the one ust pushed into the secondary receiving means is carried beyond the range of action of the pusher by the belt 7, and at the proper time is projected to the inclined plate 14, down which it rolls to the belt 15. Thus, all the cigarettes which have their cork tips at their leading ends,

are dclievcred to. the plate 14, and all the cigarettes which have their cork tips at their rear ends are delivered to the plate 19; and

these plates deliver them to the common catcher belt in tworows.

The pusher is so light that it may be operated at high speed without danger of setting up excessive vibration. in the cigarette machine proper.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwardingmeans to the receiving means at one side thereof. I

2. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving apartof the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutoff cigarettes, means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said for warding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, and a cutoff mechanism delivering cutoff cigarettes directly to said forwarding means.

3. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes. means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwarding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said forwarding means including a forwarding-belt receiving cutoff cigarettes directly from a cutoff mechanism.

4. A cigarettemachine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutoff cigarettes, and-means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwarding means to the-receiving means at one side thereof, said forwarding means includ ing a forwarding belt receiving cutoff cigarettes directly from a cutoff mechanism, and

means for curling the belt to straighten the cigarettes received.

5. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving a part ofv I, the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said for-' warding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said forwarding means lncludng a forwarding belt receiving cutoff clgarettes directly from a cutoff mechanism, and

a stationar trough curling said belt to straightenjlie cigarettes received.

6. A ci arette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cut-- off cigarettes means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwarding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said pushing means having an orbital movement intersecting the path of the cigarettes.

7. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwardly cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding"- means for receiving. a .part of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of' the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwarding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said pushing means having an or-' bital movement in a horizontal plane .immediately above the forwarding means.

8. A cigarette machine'catcher comprising means. for continuously forwarding cutofi' cigarettes, means at thedelivery end'of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a .part of the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwardmg means to the receiving means at -ments of said cranks.

9. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end ofsaid forwarding means for receiving apart of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutoff cigarettes, and-means for pushing alternate cigarettes off, said forwarding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said pushing means includingv a pusher, two gears having cranks engaging said pusher, and a pinion simultaneously driving said gears.

10. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwarding 'means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said pushing means having a pusher provided ,with an inclined operating surface.

11. A' cigarette machine catcher comprising means'for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding means-for receiving a part ofthe forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving $2.16. pinion, two cranks carried by said gears,

a bar carried by said cranks and having an orbltal movement, a pusher mounted on said bar,'and means for holding sald. pusher 1n adjusted osition fore and aft on said bar.

12. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoff cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving a part of theforwarded cigarettes, means'at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part "of the cutoff cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes ofi said forwarding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said forwarding means including a forwarding belt receiving cutoff cigarettes directly from a cutoff mechanism and .means for curling said belt to straighten the cigarettes received, and said pushing means including a pusherhaving an orbital movement intersecting the path of the cigarettes.

13. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutofi cigarettes, means at, the delivery end of said forwarding means forreceiving a part a part of the cutoff cigarettes, and means forof the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwarding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said receiving means including a traveling belt. I

14. A cigarette machine catcher comprising means for continuously forwarding cutoil cigarettes, means at the delivery end of said forwarding means for receiving a part:

of the forwarded cigarettes, means at one side of said forwarding means for receiving a part of the cutofi' cigarettes, and means for pushing alternate cigarettes off said forwarding means to the receiving means at one side thereof, said receiving means including an inclined plate and a traveling belt, un-

derrunning said plate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

THEODORE FETZER. 

